Giovanni Pernice broke his silence after he reacted to his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Debbie McGee.
The dancing duo were partnered together on the BBC show in 2017 and reached second place in the competition with the accomplishment coming just one year after the death of her husband Paul Daniels.
The 65-year-old praised Giovanni, 33, on Instagram as the dancer returned to social media following recent reports about his time spent with Amanda.
Debbie penned: “Happy memories. Giovanni and I had the best of times on Strictly.”
He replied: “Love you … thank you,” followed by a series of love heart emojis.
Social media users rushed to offer their support, as one person wrote: “Thank you for standing up Debbie. So many people love you for this.”
“Well done Debbie,” a second weighed in. “Thank you for doing this for GIO he doesn’t deserve this hope he knows how much his fans are behind him such a lovely man. You & GIO were a brilliant partnership always said you should have won.”
A third echoed: “Keep your head up high Giovanni.. and thank you for doing this Debbie.”
Another penned: “We are all behind you Giovanni.”
The BBC has now responded to Amanda’s data subject access request, claiming “robust” duty of care protocols and “constant dialogue” between the show’s producers and its celebrity contestants.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the corporation said: “The BBC offers a comprehensive range of support to all individuals taking part in our shows. Strictly Come Dancing has always taken duty of care incredibly seriously and there is a constant dialogue between senior members of the production team and the contestants to ensure any concerns are addressed swiftly.”
“Strictly has a proud track record as a joyful, positive experience where robust support and assistance is always made available at every stage of the production,” the statement, obtained by The Mirror, read.
Express.co.uk previously contacted Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice’s representatives for comment.
Fans of the show noticed Amanda failed to mention Giovanni in an Instagram statement at the time of her exit last October, while thanking “everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring”.